Weekly Franciscan reflections

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Reflection for week of 27 April, 2025

Becoming a person of peace

Peace is a common theme in the Scriptures. Jesus tells the Apostles before His death that He will give them His peace, and that this peace is different, and better, than earthly peace. In his Canticle of the Creatures, after praising God for those who pardon in His name, St. Francis thanks Him for “those who endure in peace.”

Peace is not merely an absence of war, or a state of homeostasis, when everything is calm, and we are not stressed. Peace is more than that – it is “the tranquility of order.” When life is ordered, we experience true peace. This means placing God and His will first in our life, putting others’ needs ahead of our own, and keeping our own souls in line with what God wants.

War is a terrible thing, yet war between countries is an extension of the disorder that exists in the hearts of individuals. If each person can “Endure in peace,” as St. Francis says, the world will become a better place.

An old song says, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” During this week, try to uncover the areas of your life which are keeping you from being a person of peace. 

Help the Franciscans’ work continue in perpetuity.